Clay pots (hari) were chiefly used in food preparation. The life of the Shona individual could not be without pottery. Food consumption and existence go hand in hand. Figuratively, individuals could be taken as pots. Such was the importance of clay pots among the Shona. Expressions like “dzava hari dzofanzirofa (they are now old pots boiling to breaking point)” were used to describe the old people nearing the end of life. Food was also an integral part of worship of Mwari and entertainment parties. Food bound families and communities together as shown by the proverb, “Vukama igasva bgunozadziswa nokudya (a relationship is completed by food)”. Most of this food was cooked. It was cooked in clay pots. “Mapudzi anowira vasina hari (pumpkins are in abundance in the field of one who does not own pots)”- this could be interpreted as opportunities always presenting themselves to people who cannot utilize them. Owning a clay pot (hari) embodied ability to utilize opportunities. Thus clay pots occupied a significant role in Shona society.
Pots were designed and mostly made by women while men were involved in duties like iron manufacture in clay furnaces. There were many types of pots made for specific purposes. They were made of clay because it was readily available. The pots were hardened by baking in pits with fire fueled by dry cow dung (ndove). Earthenware had additional advantages. It kept food, beverages like beer (doro/ hwahwa and maheu) and water cool. It also maintained food warm as clay is a poor conductor of heat. Once heated it loses heat slowly. Clay pots were thus used to thoroughly cook food. And once cooled, it contracts heat slowly. The following are some of the purpose-designed pots.
Shambakodzi
This was a big pot for cooking sadza. This was normally averagely bellied to contain a considerable volume of sadza or as the Europeans put it, thick porridge. The average Shona adult would like a large quantity of it with choice relish. The mouth of the pot was made wide so as to allow the stirring of water and mealie-meal using a stick known as mugoti during preparation of sadza. This pot was normally not painted because soot would obliterate its colourfulness. The pot, through much use, would be black in colour. The only aesthetics that could be on this pot were the line patterns engraved on it according to the taste of the potter. Some ethnologists submit that the patterns were not only for beautifying pots but were motifs or themes about certain issues of importance in society like fertility.
Hadyana
Sadza went with relish or vusavi. Relish was prepared in a pot called hadyana. This pot was small in all dimensions compared to shambakozi. In the Shona diet, relish is generally smaller in quantity to Sadza. The diner has to do what is known as kurumira or kusevera kure so as to finish sadza at the same time relish is finished. Kusevera kure was done by taking a little bit of relish in proportion to a lump of sadza (musuva). Again, hadyana was not painted as the black of soot would soon cover it after a few times of use in fire over supporting block of stone (mapfihwa).
Mbiya
This was also a small pot. Views vary as to its use. Some take mbiya as the same with hadyana (or small hari or pot; with –ana denoting smallness in some Bantu languages). Others argue that they are different. Mbiya, they say, was often decorated with colour and material like graphite (chidziro, mashapa, chibhudha) as it was not used for cooking but ladling (kupakurira) food. It is taken as a side plate or dish.
Gate
In pots used on fire (pachoto), the mother of all is gate. Gate has a big belly and proportionally wide neck and mouth. It was used to brew beer and cook large quantities of farm produce like maize cobs, nyimo (round nuts), (nzungu) groundnuts, mutakura (a mixture of dry beans and maize, for example), mudhigidhi (a mixture of mashamba (bush melon) and maize grains). Beer was used as dietary food, worship food and simply consumed for entertainment. Beer or maheu could be poured into pfuko and served. A calabash or mukombe was used to fetch beer from the heavy gate into smaller containers.
Pfuko
Pfuko was used for storage of maheu and doro during fermentation. This could be medium size to small in size. All the artworks in terms of painting and patterns could be done here. This was not put on fire. A side handle could be attached to it during molding. Its neck was relatively narrow and long so as to ease the pouring of beverages into smaller containers. The mouth was also small so that small plates or types of mbiya could cover it to protect its liquid contents.
Hwedza
The Shonas were cattle keepers. Cow milk was a delicacy in their diet. They milked cows. Milk was directed into a pot known as hwedza. Hwedza was average in size with a wide mouth so as to receive milk well. Like all the pots not used on fire, it was found providing ground for the artistic talent of the potter.
Hodzeko
From the hwedza milk was poured into hodzeko where it was kept until it fermented or grew lumpy and sour. This was normally done to surplus milk after daily rations of fresh milk were consumed. Sour milk could act as relish going together with sadza. Hodzeko could be mistaken for pfuko in all respects. The distinguishing mark of this piece of pottery was a drainage hole on its side near the base. This was meant to drain away a sour green-yellowish liquid known as mutuvi into other containers, leaving lumps of white cream known as mage. Mage would be poured out through the pot mouth. The drainage hole was plugged by a piece of wood or (later) cloth during the fermentation of milk.
Chirongo
Of the life-giving liquids was and is still water. Settlement location was guided by availability of water in rivers or wells. The Shona fetched water in strong light-weight pots known as zvirongo (chirongo-singular). Chirongo could be decorated like the aforesaid pots which were not used for cooking. In fact, it was taboo for people to use cooking pots to fetch water as it was believed the mermaid spirits that ensured continuous flow of water would be upset.
Conclusion
Clay pots were very important in the life of Shona people. Their value was mostly utilitarian. Clay pots were not used as flowerpots because land was plenty for growing of such ornamental plants. It is important if the readers do researches on where these were kept in the traditional round hut and how and why the pots were associated with female gender. Feel free to air your views in the comments section below.
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